A complete guide to wood-burning stoves – everything you need to know

We earn a fee for merchandise bought by way of some hyperlinks on this article.

Are you seeking to change an open hearth with a extra environment friendly approach of heating your house? Or eager so as to add a further type of heating through the winter months? Trendy wood-burning stoves or log burners are extra environment friendly and, subsequently cheaper, to run than conventional gasoline and electrical heaters. That’s why they’re so interesting with the present gasoline disaster.

Along with offering an environment friendly type of heating, wooden burner concepts add character, model and a focus. With its mixture of warmth and the visible impression of roaring flames, there’s nothing higher when it’s chilly outdoors, to snuggle up in entrance of a log burner.

‘An open hearth is round 32 per cent environment friendly. A room open gasoline hearth is roughly 55 per cent environment friendly. An Ecodesign wood-burning range is often round 80 per cent environment friendly,’ says Erica Malkin, communications supervisor at Range Trade Alliance (SIA). Ecodesign is a typical which was applied throughout Europe on 1 January 2022.

What are wood-burning stoves?

Put merely, they’re self-contained heating home equipment designed to supply warmth inside your house by way of burning wooden. A hearth is contained within the physique of the range, which is normally constructed from metal or forged iron. The warmth created radiates into the encompassing house. Any smoke from the fireplace leaves the chimney by way of the flue that results in the chimney.

What varieties of wood-burning stoves are there?

There’s quite a lot of completely different sorts to select from. These embody:

Radiant stoves

These transmit warmth by way of the glass door and the range’s physique to the air surrounding it. ‘The nearer you’re to a radiant range the hotter it is going to really feel, making them splendid for localised house heating,’ says Erica Malkin.

Convection stoves

Designed with a secondary outer layer which clads the range’s physique, the cool air is drawn into the convection layer. It heats up because it rises inside the range after which flows into the room. ‘These stoves are properly suited to bigger rooms with excessive ceilings and the place a excessive warmth output is required,’ says Erica.

Multi-fuel stoves

Multi-fuel stoves supply the comfort of having the ability to burn each wooden and smokeless fuels. Whereas wooden burns greatest on a mattress of ash with air circulating above, stable fuels require air circulating under. To permit for each choices, a multi-fuel range has a raised grate. ‘Keep in mind {that a} multi-fuel range might need a smaller window to accommodate the raised grate,’ says Erica.

Boiler stoves

A very good choice to assist additional cut back the carbon footprint of a house, boiler stoves generate scorching water to energy radiators. Some have the choice to hyperlink to your current gasoline or oil central heating system, thereby serving to save power at house, and lowering house heating payments.

Pellet stoves

These burn compressed wooden or biomass pellets. Most characteristic a built-in hopper which is loaded with pellets after which operates autonomously for about 12 hours. This makes them very handy to make use of.

What are the advantages of wood-burning stoves?

• Splendid for supplementary use while you want a sudden burst of warmth throughout chilly winter months. ‘Wooden gives a extra intense warmth in a room in comparison with a radiator or underfloor heating and the warmth may also be emitted for longer, says Jon Butterworth, director at Arada Stoves.
• Low emission and low carbon strategy to warmth your house utilizing renewable and sustainable gasoline.
• Decrease working price ‘An environment friendly Ecodesign wood-burning range prices a few third of the value of electrical heating to run and roughly 13 per cent lower than gasoline central heating for the typical family beneath the present worth cap. This saving will additional enhance in April 2022 when the power worth cap is elevated,’ says Erica Malkin.
• Psychological well being booster In line with a latest research by British range producer Charnwood, 93 per cent of these surveyed recognise their range’s optimistic impression on their wellbeing. Different producers additionally promote this profit. ‘The relief from the flickering flames can assist cut back blood stress, which is a big profit in in the present day’s irritating world,’ says Vicky Naylor, basic supervisor at ACR Stoves. Jon Butterworth agrees saying: ‘Lighting a hearth encourages us to decelerate and cosy up with family and friends on a chilly night.’

What are the negatives of wood-burning stoves?

The preliminary outlay to suit and set up a wooden burner can show costly – typically as a lot because the equipment itself. ‘Nevertheless, many would argue that the gasoline financial savings over time and the wellbeing advantages of utilizing a wood-burning range will outweigh the price of putting in one,’ says Cedric Wells at Charnwood.

Shopping for ideas when buying wood-burning stoves

Right here’s what the consultants advise:

1. Full a web site survey

Michael Coke, biomass product improvement supervisor at Stovax, recommends finishing a web site survey by a suitably certified HETAS engineer earlier than buying a brand new heating equipment. ‘The engineer will think about the suitable warmth output for the room, the related location inside the home, and essentially the most appropriate flue system on your equipment, to make sure it’s appropriate,’ he says.

2. Verify for house

An engineer will be capable of advise whether or not you might have sufficient house for a wooden burner, too. ‘You could guarantee that you’ve got the best clearances across the range to make sure you get one of the best operation,’ says Vicky Naylor. ‘In the event you squeeze a range into a gap, the warmth will likely be trapped there and will harm the encompassing space.’

3. Purchase the proper measurement and warmth output

You could buy a range that’s the appropriate measurement, with the best warmth output in relation to the room it will likely be put in in. As talked about above, a web site survey will assist with this. ‘As a information, it’s higher to have a smaller range you can burn arduous, somewhat than a big range that produces an excessive amount of heat as you’ll find yourself opening doorways and home windows to disperse the warmth,’ says Cedric Wells. Charnwood has a helpful on-line range calculator that may enable you to decide one of the best output for the scale of your room.

4. Think about color and elegance

A range is kind of a substantial funding and one that’s prone to stay a part of your front room concepts for a few years, so consideration to design is crucial. ‘Consider your range as a bit of furnishings for heating. Select a traditional model that received’t date and think about a colored one, which might look good all 12 months spherical,’ says Cedric Wells.

5. Search for an environment friendly equipment

As of January 2022, all stoves offered within the UK should now meet the standards set for Ecodesign. ‘Basically this ensures excessive efficiencies and low emissions, that means they’re 80-90 per cent higher than older stoves or open fires,’ says Cedric Wells. ‘Search for the ‘ClearSkies certification when buying a range to make sure it meets with the regulation,’ he says.

6. Make house for storing wooden

It’s cheaper to purchase wooden in bulk and depart it to dry for as much as two years except you’re ready to pay a better payment for seasoned logs. This implies you’ll want house for log storage concepts. In the event you don’t have room for an out of doors woodshed, you’ll want a dry, well-ventilated space which is protected against dampness and rain.

7. Get signed off by Constructing Management

If you’re planning to put in a wood-burning range in your house, with both a brand new flue or an current chimney, you have to to satisfy Constructing Rules approval.

‘This may be carried out by way of a licensed installer who’s registered and can notify your native authority, or you possibly can set up the range your self, however you have to to achieve approval out of your native authority constructing management workplace,’ says Jon Butterworth.

‘Make an software on-line along with your native council. As soon as this has been carried out, a constructing management officer will examine the work and also you’ll obtain a completion certification. Be certain to maintain this certificates while you come to promote your property.’

What upkeep is required for wood-burning stoves?

• Every day It is very important know the way to clear your range to maintain it in good working order. When your range is unlit, cool and protected to the touch, empty out the ash pan and firebox and clear away any soot which has accrued on the range’s glass door. Cedric Wells at Charnwood advises utilizing a range glass cleaner or ceramic hob cleaner, and to keep away from utilizing any abrasive cleansing merchandise.
• Month-to-month  To make sure your equipment stays environment friendly, you need to frequently examine the important thing parts of your range for indicators of damage and tear and change components the place essential. ‘Verify for cracks within the range glass and ensure the rope seal is unbroken,’ says Erica Malkin.
• Yearly Your chimney ought to be swept a minimum of yearly, some producers will even advise twice a 12 months relying on how usually you employ the equipment. ‘A HETAS (Heating Gear Testing Approval Scheme) might be one of the best place to discover a sweep, HETAS registered sweeps will likely be a member of one of many governing our bodies; have efficiently accomplished HETAS competence coaching and can be capable of present an id card,’ says Declan Kingsley-Walsh.

Additionally, when the range isn’t getting used frequently, equivalent to in the summertime months, Jon Butterworth recommends eradicating the throat plate in your range and leaving the air inlets open. ‘It permits the air to circulation by way of which is able to forestall rust construct up.’

How lengthy will wood-burning stoves final?

The common lifetime of a log burning range is 10 to twenty years. How lengthy one lasts will depend upon how usually it’s used and whether or not it’s operated inside the producers’ pointers. Keep in mind that, as know-how evolves, so will an equipment’s effectivity.

‘In the event you presently personal a range manufactured 10 years in the past or older, it is going to produce 80 per cent extra emissions than an Ecodesign Prepared range produced in the present day,’ says Jon Butterworth. So it’s price contemplating updating it with a extra eco-friendly and extra environment friendly mannequin.

Why do you have to use seasoned wooden?

Put merely, the drier the wooden, the higher it burns. A change in laws in 2021 means any wooden that you simply use must have a moisture content material of lower than 20 per cent.

‘The reason is is that if something increased is used it is going to result in a rise of smoke and emissions with little or no warmth output and can trigger soot to construct up and the blackening of the range glass,’ says Jon Butterworth.

For example oak can absorb extra of two years to completely season. In the event you’re shopping for your wooden pre-cut, SIA recommends on the lookout for the Woodsure Able to Burn label. This exhibits the timber is prepared for rapid use.

In the event you’re chopping your personal wooden, one strategy to know whether it is seasoned or not, after having saved it for the beneficial period of time, is to search for radial cracks within the logs’ cross-section, unfastened bark and a uninteresting colouring. The load of seasoned wooden can be noticeably lighter than moist wooden.

What sorts of actual wooden are you able to burn in a wood-burning range?

Specialist firewood producer Actually Wooden, beneficial by SIA, presents a helpful information on the completely different wooden sorts splendid to be used in wood-burning stoves:

Oak has a protracted burn and good warmth output. At instances, a little bit extra draft/air from the range setting is required to keep up a very good burn, however as soon as a very good base is established, the burn time will likely be lengthy.

Ash gives a vibrant flame and burns very properly, albeit barely sooner than oak.

Beech burns with a pleasant vibrant yellow flame and for a very long time. It additionally has a easy bark so is straightforward to deal with.

Birch is without doubt one of the most tasty of logs resulting from its silvery, flaky bark. It burns with a vibrant flame, however will burn fairly rapidly. Usually 100 per cent birch will likely be from Jap Europe and never British, so you’ll want to think about the carbon footprint of supply.

Softwoods equivalent to spruce, larch, pine and Douglas fir can all be utilized in a log burner however, as they’re much less dense than hardwoods described above, you have to twice as many logs to realize the identical warmth output.

What are the choice gasoline sources for a log burner?

You need to all the time confer with the producer’s directions when choosing the proper gasoline on your range as it is rather completely different to selecting a gasoline on your hearth concepts. ‘Utilizing the incorrect gasoline might invalidate the guarantee,’ says Erica Malkin. Nevertheless, as a information, listed here are the commonest choices:

Wooden/sawdust briquettes These are made by compressing collectively hardwood, softwood, or a combination of the 2. ‘Search for these constructed from 100 per cent wooden to make sure that you keep away from any that comprise contaminants equivalent to paint or glue,’ says Erica. What’s extra, as soon as the wooden briquettes are positioned within the range, don’t contact them. ‘Allow them to break down themselves as you don’t wish to mess with the construction of the briquette,’ says Declan Kingsley-Walsh, managing director at Morso.

Espresso logs These are sustainably constructed from recycled espresso grounds and might burn 20 per cent increased than kiln-dried wooden logs. Go to www.bio-bean.com for more information.

Coal This can be utilized in a multi-fuel range, but it surely must be a smokeless coal, equivalent to Anthracite. This gasoline has a excessive carbon content material and few impurities, which suggests it burns far cleaner than softer, dirtier coals and produces much less smoke and pollution when burnt.

Wooden pellet Used for pellet stoves, these are made from compressed sawdust or wooden mud. Typically this can be a waste product from different industries equivalent to sawmills. The pellets are held collectively by the pure lignin within the wooden, so no glue is required.